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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: firm · bear · spell · shower · chair · squash · mouse · suit

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. shower — to wash
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bear — the animal
  7. firm — a company
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. spell — letters
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — steady
  13. suit — to fit
  14. chair — a leader
  15. shower — rain
  16. bear — the animal
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — to crush
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. squash — the sport
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. suit — in cards
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bear — to put up with

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com